T.V.O.D.TM for May 2001

This month I'd like to share some comments about drug addiction from Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan.  The full article is in the May 7, 2001 edition of Time magazine and I recommend the whole piece to you.  I'm not sure that I truly understand any more than I did before, but perhaps I've gained a new insight.  BTW, the story is about her.  Here's my excerpt:

I knew a girl whose lover came in several disguises – white cross Methedrine, orange triangles of Dexedrine, “black beauties,” long white lines of coke.  She followed her lover everywhere …

When her lover wasn’t with her, she was left with her own terror of how to move through the world alone.  She didn’t know how to deal with people alone; she needed her partner, her other half.

You need to know this about drugs: unlike people, drugs don’t judge you or look at you too closely, too intimately.  They don’t ask you to reveal yourself or confide your secrets.  They just take you away – far away; they let you hide, which is what frightened people want to do.

You will never understand drug addiction unless you understand that it’s a love story.

You don’t get over drugs; you don’t ever fall out of love.  You just – somehow – tell yourself every morning that you can go through that day, that night, without the one lover who took away your fear.

I do know why some of us quit though.  I followed the white lines of coke laid out on mirror after mirror.  In the end there was only the mirror left.  I had to look at myself.

Recently, I’ve been listening to a 1987 recording of the Philip Glass opera “Akhnaten.”  Third in his series of biographical opera (the first two subjects being Albert Einstein in “Einstein on the Beach” and Mahatma Gandhi in “Satyagraha”), it’s also one of his most melodic works.

Interestingly, considering the current interest in counter-tenors, this one features famed singer Paul Esswood in the title role more than a decade ago.

Theologically, Akhnaten (a pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty, he ascended to the throne in 1375 BC) is of interest to us as the first purveyor of a monotheistic god.  In addition, this god, Aten, was the first totally abstract concept of the godhead.

Philip Glass: Akhnaten by The Stuttgart State Opera, Orchestra & Chorus and directed by Dennis Russel Davies.  For a wonderfully complete description including comments by Mr. Glass and a history of the period I'm sending you to the University of Paderborn as well as the University of Southampton.

Note:  In the first two weeks of October 2001, there will be a new production directed by Cilia Hogerzeil, with choreography by Niels Christe and music performed by Nederlands Ballet Orchestra conducted by Niels Kuijers.  It is presented by Muziektheater Hollands DIEP as part of Rotterdam, Cultural Capital of Europe 2001 in Zwijndrecht (south of Rotterdam).

And may we give a nod to Libor Pesek and his Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in their performance of Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast (My Fatherland, from the Cycle of symphonic poems) on Lotos (LT-0046-2031)?

Books This month's selection from my bosses at Church Publishing is Beyond Colonial Anglicanism edited by Ian T. Douglas and Kwok Pui-lan.  Here is the official comment for the Library of Congress: Fifteen essays explore issues and challenges that face the culturally and linguistically diverse worldwide Anglican Communion in the aftermath of British and North American colonial and missionary movements. The authors come from various parts of the Communion, including North America and South America, Asia, and Africa.

On May 10, 2001, I attended the One Hundred and Fourteenth Dinner of the Church Club of New York honoring Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy.  It was held at the Union League Club at the corner of Park Avenue and 37th Street where Church Publishing had its Christmas gathering.

The Church Club of New York was organized in 1887 and incorporated in 1893 “to strengthen the life and faith of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican communion, to support theological education, and to offer its members a forum for the discussion of important issues facing the Church, and opportunities for them to share friendship” (according to its Constitution).

Cardinal Cassidy, born in 1924, is an Australian by birth.  After his first assignment at Yenda, in the Diocese of Wagga Wagga, he both studied and served in Rome as well as serving the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, El Salvadore, Argentina, China, Bangladesh, Burma, South Africa, and the Netherlands.

Pope John Paul II created his Eminence Cardinal Deacon in 1991.  His speech—“Christian Unity: Is It Ever Possible?”—addressed his work as President of the Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the ecumenical office of the Holy See.  I found him to be an engaging speaker, particularly because I am a former Roman Catholic.  Naturally, he took the “company line” but the trend of history does seem to be bringing the rivers of many faiths together, particularly Anglicans and Lutherans as well as Romans and Lutherans (the Cardinal spoke of their meeting last year in Augsburg).

Among the bishops of our church, I had the pleasure of spending some time with +Catherine S. Roskam (Suffragan Bishop of New York), +Mark S. Sisk (Bishop Coadjutor of New York and Bishop of New York after +Grein retires on June 30) and +Herbert A. Donovan (Interim Anglican Observer to the United Nations).  I wrote and produced Ecclesia, the bishop’s diocesan newsletter, during the period when he was Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey.

After cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the League’s library, we took our places in the dining room before an introduction by Dr. Stuart E. Prall, President of the Church Club, and diocesan greetings by +Richard F. Grein, Bishop of New York.  Consistent with the evening’s theme of Anglican and Roman ecumenism, J. Robert Wright+ (St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowerie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at General Theological Seminary) gave a blessing regarding sisters Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth before we all sat down to a lovely salmon dinner.

At the end of the talk, all sang “The Church’s One Foundation” before a final benediction after which Johnny and I went to Dick’s for a smart cocktail.  And after which I went to Pangea for another dinner (!) and a long chat with Pat Thompson of Christ and St. Stephen’s Church.

Speaking of the Rev. Canon John GB Andrew, Sunday, May 20 is his final service as interim rector of Grace Church.  It has been a great privilege to hear him preach as I’ve noted before.  I spoke with his verger, Morgan Holman, about what the future holds for them (they’re both going into retirement—as Mr. Holman said, “we’re a pair, like Abbott and Costello!”).  So in conversation with Fr. Andrew, I said “And how will we find out when you do guest preaching” to which he responded, “You’ll have to read the papers!”  I’ll certainly miss him.

Last month, the Editorial Board of CPI was treated to a talk by Leonard Sweet, extolling new ways of thinking outside the box where the future of the Church must lie if it is to succeed.

On Public Television, I caught a tribute to John Inman, the famed Mr. Humphries from Are You Being Served and An Evening with John Inman.  “I’m free!”  He is definitely one of those performers about whom one rarely hears bad things and we hope he continues to spread his charm around the world.  Indeed, for all of May 2001, he is performing in a stage version of AYBS in Brisbane Australia!

As you probably know, I'm not the only person who does personal web sites.  The other day, while doing a search for something completely unrelated, I happened upon the web site of a young gay man in Southern California.  I hope he doesn't mind me telling you about it.  His name is Justin and his web site is Justin's Life.  Check it out.

Wine

I always enjoy a good ten dollar bottle of wine and this month I'd like to suggest a 1997 Beaulieu Vineyards “Coastal” Cabernet Sauvignon.  The taste was as smooth as velvet and you can't beat the price; plus they've got a great web site.

We Get Mail

My dear friend, and a great nurse, Lynn Ferrer of St. Barnabas Hospital in NJ writes ...

Dear Tony,

Whenever new life grows and emerges, darkness is crucial to the process.  Whether its the caterpillar in the chrysalis, the seed in the ground, the child in the womb, or the True Self in the soul, there’s always a time of waiting in the dark  ...  Love, Lynn

Read a meditation on this by the Rev. Dr. Susan Durber at St. Columba’s in Oxford, Mike Bellah on The Elijah Complex, the Rev. Glen Nelson at St. Ansgar Lutheran in Toronto, and the Rev. Sean Cox at St. Margaret's in Palm Desert CA.